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ABEC Case Outcome Not A UPP Concern – Massiah

Senator Joanne MassiahAntigua St. John’s - Minister of State within the Prime Minister’s Office and Public Relations Officer of the United Progressive Party (UPP) Senator Joanne Massiah said the recent outcome in the legal battle challenging the authority of UPP head and Prime Minister Dr. Hon. Baldwin Spencer and others, was not one that affected the UPP in any way.

Senator Massiah was responding to questions posed by this publication on how the UPP intended to proceed with the High Court ruling that saw the reinstatement, with compensation, of two senior employees of the Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) to their substantive posts after it was deemed that they were wrongfully seconded after the last general elections.

A significant part of that legal battle was fought, on the hand of the plaintiffs, on the grounds of their perceived political allegiances.

“The ABEC matter is not a UPP matter; it is a government matter. Anything dealing with ABEC is a government matter,” Massiah said, adding that Caribarena’s inquiries would have rightly been placed at the feet of Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant.

Attempts to reach Mr. Merchant were unsuccessful; however, an official response from the government is still to be made on last week’s court ruling.

Even the seemingly stalled matter of significant changes to constituency boundaries, Massiah said, is one that does not concern her party despite public perception.

In the meantime, the only matter Massiah considered to be directly related to the UPP was that of candidate selection for the 2014 General Elections.

But this matter concerns her personally, since “rumor” has it that the party has taken steps to move the senator to another constituency.



Massiah said this matter has not yet been finalised and is likely not to be so until the UPP Convention set to take place in the coming months. Therefore, she would rather not comment on it.

Also, the senator stressed that “the issue of transfer has never come up in any official UPP discussion” and she would rather refrain from “premature” commentary on the matter.

“It is to come up in convention in a few months. I don't want to speak prematurely on that matter. These are matters for the party branches and to the best of my knowledge nothing has come up officially,” Senator Massiah said.

Chairman of the United Progressive Party Hon. Harold Lovell had confirmed rumors of a proposed shift in constituency representation from the end of the UPP, but declined to confirm who would be going where until it was discussed at the level of the UPP Convention later this year.

The UPP Chairman had also noted that the final decision of who went where would ultimately lie in the hands of the constituency offices and would only need ratification at the Convention.

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21 Comments In This Article   

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Clueless in Antigua

#21 sick and tired » 2012-09-10 22:45

My dear senator is the laziest PRO I have ever seen, never concern of what is hampering their party. No wonder many persons within this party clinches when she speaks. Every couple of months the legal system beats this government for the wrong choices that they have made, by now if I were you Senator, I would just HUSH! YOU ARE A xxxxxx TO THE UPP, they are not brave enough to tell you but someone has to, so you can just take your head out of the clouds! wow what an I**ot
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sick and tired

Lady Macbeth Meets Salome At the Dance of the Seven Veils! PT3

#20 John French II » 2012-09-04 21:18

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock! As a people steeped in North Atlantic and Judeo Christianity, everyone is totally familiar with Salome, The Dance of The Seven Veils, Herod and his receipt of John the Baptist's Head on A Silver Platter. Christian Mythology. Go further into pre-christian myths. Having lost all of our african mythology we must of necessity turn to Assyrian and Babylonian. In this myth, Ishtar decides to visit her sister, Ereshkigal, in the underworld. When Ishtar approaches the gates of the underworld, the gatekeeper lets Ishtar pass through the seven gates, opening one gate at a time. At each gate, Ishtar has to shed an article of clothing. When she finally p** the seventh gate, she is naked. She is then imprisoned by Ereshkigal. When she is later rescued and p** back through the seven gates, Ishtar receives one article of clothing back at each gate, and is fully clothed as she exits the last gate.
Full Circle to Transparency & Accountability. last week' travel to the US First Class. GoAB or Private Business?
Here is Government Transparency & Accountability: www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/acdi-cida/ACDI-CIDA.nsf/eng/JUD-1127470-GZP
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John French II

Lady Macbeth Meets Salome At the Dance of the Seven Veils! PT2

#19 John French II » 2012-09-04 20:59

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock! Quote:
Foul whisperings are abroad: unnatural deeds Do breed unnatural troubles: infected minds To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets: More needs she the divine than the physician. God, God forgive us all! Look after her; Remove from her the means of all annoyance, And still keep eyes upon her. So, good night: My mind she has mated, and amazed my sight. I think, but dare not speak.
Even though written in a distant time and place, it speaks to this SIDS and the tragedy of the soul than than to transactional external events. It paints for us the state of loneliness & hopeless misery to which a long succession of crimes has reduced us. Still clinging desperately to the deceitful promises the Blues see the people's flight; they lose the support and parliamentary perks and should be made to look forward to a solitary old age.In laying the blame before GoAB it will be at the very close of the act, when the Good Senator & Blues will realize how they have been trapped by the juggling fiends and the yield to temptation.
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John French II

Lady Macbeth Meets Salome At the Dance of the Seven Veils!

#18 John French II » 2012-09-04 20:21

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock! Many have divined that the Senator & Ambassador is a Most Powerful Woman: Ambitious, Attractive & Charming. and completely devoted to the UPP. Somehave opined that she is a teeny bit concerned that the UPP has not manned up enough to do what it takes to Govern with the full apparatus of the State rather it is "too full o'the milk of human kindness." Like Lady Macbeth she sees powa as all encompassing:
Quote:
Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood; Stop up the access and passage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts, And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers, Wherever in your sightless substances You wait on nature's mischief! - Macbeth by Shakespeare.
A few have noted that the Good Senator has moved from UPP to IPP hence some have loudly proclaimed that like Lady Macbeth she is sleepwalking through this Historical & Legal Moment
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John French II

RE: ABEC Case Outcome Not A UPP Concern – Massiah

#17 Rastaman » 2012-09-04 16:47

Such rubbish
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Rastaman

The Wilmoth Daniel letter

#16 tenman » 2012-09-04 14:20

Quote:
Next is the manner in which we, as a government, have treated the Hadeeds and APC, who have been good to the Government and people of Antigua and Barbuda as a family and corporate citizen. When we were out of options to meet our electricity demands approaching Cricket World Cup in 2007, it was you who invited me to your office to meet with Ambassador Ramiz Hadeed. My recollection of this is that you reminded me of the friendship and financial contribution to the UPP for elections of 2004 from that family. You opined that you would like to see the friendship rekindled between myself and the Hadeeds and that since we were looking for additional power generation you suggested that I give them the opportunity to be part of the proposed few to compete for APC to provide the additional power to APUA. Read more: http://www.caribarena.com/antigua/news/latest/100150-daniel-demands-investigation-into-chinese-power-plant.html#ixzz25WhLbwel
..
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tenman

The Queen Of Hearts!

#15 Madanino Town Crier » 2012-09-04 13:51

OYEZ! OYEZ!
Here comes the Reds' Queen of Hearts from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Quote:
Alice observes three playing cards painting white roses red. They drop to the ground face down at the approach of the Queen of Hearts, whom Alice has never met. When the Queen arrives and asks Alice who is lying on the ground (since the backs of all playing cards look alike), Alice tells her that she does not know. The Queen then becomes frustrated and commands that her head be severed. She is deterred by her comparatively moderate husband by being reminded that Alice is only a child
Here comes Sirs Isaac Newton's, Paget Henry's & The Blues Queen Of Hearts devoid of "ethical badmindedness" Quote:
“The ABEC matter is not a UPP matter; it is a government matter. Anything dealing with ABEC is a government matter,”
The Queen of Hearts she made some tarts;
The Knave of Hearts he stole the tarts.
The King of Hearts called for the tarts and beat the Knave full sore
The Knave of Hearts brought back the tarts and
vowed he'd steal no more.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Pvycdgp0g
OYEZ! OYEZ!
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Madanino Town Crier

Joanne is absolutely right

#14 Dax Rebel » 2012-09-04 13:10

Joanne knows exactly what she is saying, but the bloggers just don't understand her reasoning (for want of a better word).PM Spencer, Juno Samuel and Bruce Goodwin, and we can add Joanne and Harold to the list, don't give a darn, as the funds for legal fees and compensation are coming from the Public Treasury. We, the tax payers are the ones who ought to be concerned with the abundance of ridiculous decisions made by this incompetent bunch, to the detriment of the tax payers. If those funds were taken from their pay packets, maybe, just maybe, more reasonable decisions would be forthcoming.

But Jonaane has spoken: this is not a UPP problem or concern! So spoken, so be it!
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Dax Rebel

correct a mondo.

#13 rupert j. » 2012-09-04 13:01

@Tenman you are absolutely correct as far as the seperation of the two party versas government and if mr daniel says the kind of things you are saying this guy is a sad, sad case.
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rupert j.

RE: ABEC Case Outcome Not A UPP Concern – Massiah

#12 ANTIGUAN WOMAN » 2012-09-04 11:41

This Govt/ UPP party is hopeless! Is this supposed to be some damage control? Trying to seperate Baldwin spencer,who was the main instigator of this from the UPP is like trying to seperate Satan from Sin.Come again lady,people are supposed to learn from their mistakes,trying to bury them under a thin sheet of glass will not let them go away.
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ANTIGUAN WOMAN

RE: ABEC Case Outcome Not A UPP Concern – Massiah

#11 Morris » 2012-09-04 11:33

Of course it is of no concern nor would they be affected, because it is the citizens who will end up paying the cost not the politicians.

How much more of the taxpayers' monies will the gov't lose in the courts? This is like beating a child and telling him/her to hush and not to cry.
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Morris

No seed

#10 Chinie-boi » 2012-09-04 10:49

Minister, sun shine gone , it's drought season and nigga balling and thieving, young people want work to do, all of us at home watching television and bored,some of us getting into trouble ,let the PM no its time for change all of us young people is watching on and we angry so stop tell lie.
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Chinie-boi

They don't care....

#9 Queen » 2012-09-04 10:07

They have arrived..!!! Plenty money and power to go with it... They could not care less about Antigua and it's people...they are sucking the blood out of tax payers.... They are void of ideas... JM driving round in fancy, living in fancy house and every now and then she dress up with a big hat like them white woman in England..... How sad..
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Queen

@ Joanne

#8 Jimmy » 2012-09-04 08:07

Dr. Benjamin is the best for St. Mary's North! We want a real man to run there! In any case it don't matter who they put where they put them...they all gone agawassa!
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Jimmy

PR Intelligence Advice

#7 Uncommonsense » 2012-09-04 07:56

Senator JM, here is some PR acumen. You don't run away from the truth of reality nor the reality of truth. You embrace it. It would have been far more effective to break through the clutter. Address the Court case lost head-on. Link lessons learnt to what you are going to do better next time. Deposit a word picture that holds people's attention and sticks in their heads by harping on how the UPP can turn its Government's defeat into a great cause for justice! Professional guidance will prevent egg-facing the image of the UPP!
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Uncommonsense

From fools we can only get f.............

#6 Serious Times » 2012-09-04 07:55

As a voter in the All Saints East constituency, I am apalled by Joanne's seeming ability to speak truth. I have been watching this chaacter trait and now conclude that she is just a xxxolxxical liar and a dxxxxxer of the highest order.
That she could not even show respect for us the voters of the All Saints East constituency by admitnig her interest and declaration of contesting the next election in our area is unpardonable. She is actively campaigning in our area, yet could not admit it. I guess that's an ALP matter.
This seems to be the MO of the UPP administration and just another reason why we have no choice but to remove and replace them next election.
The lies and deception surrounding WPP is another reason.
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Serious Times

should be true

#5 tenman » 2012-09-04 07:21

The senator speaks what should be a truth, but not a reality in Antigua. How else could one explain the visit by high ranking UPP members to the Chinese financed and operated power plant, before the media? Even the last letter by MP Daniel makes it clear that decisions are made with the idea of offering the ruling political party an unfair advantage: MP Daniel stated, via letter, that the PM wanted him to mend fences with the Hadeeds because they had contributed significantly to the UPP political campaign. Daniel himself has stated via ABS, that a major reason for giving the contractors work to build (badly) side walks and drains in St. John's was to create new sources of moneys to fund the UPP political campaigns. Pundits will tell you that a major motive behind the fencing scandal was to indirectly fund the UPP political campaign mechanism by providing contracts to UPP supporters

..
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tenman

RE: ABEC Case Outcome Not A UPP Concern – Massiah

#4 R. Berry » 2012-09-04 06:42

“The ABEC matter is not a UPP matter; it is a government matter.

What a senseless statement and whose party Ms. Massiah, represents the Government then?

Can you also advise how many times the UPP and particular Mr. Spencer and the Government of A&B, has gone to court and lost, in the past 8 years.
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R. Berry

RE: ABEC Case Outcome Not A UPP Concern – Massiah

#3 NELEEN » 2012-09-04 05:53

Seems to me that what Max Hurst is to the A.L.P. Joanne Massiah is to the U.P.P. Is she for real? It is not a matter for her party? Okay, maybe there is an A.L.P. Administration in office. Such foolish people.
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NELEEN

BUNCH OF **S AND LIARS

#2 RASTA T » 2012-09-04 05:09

JOAN YOU WELL KNOW ABOUT THE MOVING OF CANDIDATES NONE QUESTION FOR U DIDNT YOU START YOUR CAMPAIGHN IN OLD ROAD AND CHESTER STARTED IN RURAL SOUTH AND WAS CHASED AWAY BY HIS UPP ITES GIVE ME A BREAK BUNCH OF **S AND LIARS
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RASTA T

RE: ABEC Case Outcome Not A UPP Concern – Massiah

#1 A wha dis father » 2012-09-04 03:31

Which planet is this lady from ?
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A wha dis father

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